What’s on the agenda for the House and Senate committees today.
Before heading behind closed doors to work on draft reports on the latest findings of the auditor general on Canada Revenue Agency contact centres and the ongoing push to overhaul the federal pay system, PUBLIC ACCOUNTS members are set to circle back to Conservative MP Jasraj Hallan’s proposal that the committee “report to the House that it is of the view that recovering the $34 million in taxpayer funds paid out to ineligible projects through Sustainable Development Technology Canada is in the public interest.” (11 a.m.)
Over at PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS, MPs continue their self-assigned investigation into the “opportunities, risks and institutional implications arising from artificial intelligence (AI) for Canada’s democratic institutions,” as outlined in the terms of reference adopted earlier this fall, with procedural experts from both the United Kingdom House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament, as well as the United Nations Development Programme. (11 a.m.)
After the main meeting wraps up, the SUBCOMMITTEE ON PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS will review the next batch of backbench bills and motions in the queue to be added to the priority rotation. (1:15 p.m.)
Meanwhile, NATIONAL DEFENCE members hear from academic experts Justin Massie and John Walsh as part of their self-assigned review of the “modernization of the Canadian Army.” (11 a.m.)
Later today, Parliamentary Budget Officer Annette Ryan will join a full contingent of senior PBO staff and analysts as they brief GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESTIMATES members on what the notice describes as “recent reports.” (3:30 p.m.)
Also this afternoon:
- ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT members take a closer look at the latest developments in “carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies” during a roundtable chat with representatives of Environmental Defence Canada, Clean Prosperity and Carbon Removal Canada. (3:30 p.m.)
- CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION members survey representatives of the Canadian Association for Long Term Care, Canada’s Semiconductor Council, Dishon Limited and the Toronto Board of Trade, as well as Concordia University provost Effrosyni Diamantoud, on “attracting and empowering global talent to strengthen Canada’s economy.”
Finally, a fresh batch of Liberal-initiated backbench bills are still working their respective way through their designated committees, including Lisa Hepfner’s proposal to update Canada divorce laws to address risks related to family violence and coercive control (8:15 a.m.), Parm Bains’ pitch to set up a “national framework respecting skilled trades and labour mobility” at HUMAN RESOURCES, SKILLS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (11 a.m.), Abdelhaq Sari’s campaign to “establish a national framework to promote the durability of electronic products and essential home appliances” at INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY (3:30 p.m.) and Gurbax Sani’s call for a “national framework to improve food price transparency” at AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD (3:30 p.m.)
Committee highlights courtesy of our friends at iPoliticsINTEL.